Alitalia has revealed its new livery, becoming the "sexiest airline in Europe".

More than 1,500 Alitalia employees were at Rome's Fiumicino Airport, watching the unveil of the new branding. Matteo Renzi, the Prime Minister of Italy, was also in attendance.

The new livery was created by Landor, the same firm that created the airline's 1969 livery.

The tail logo has remained mostly unchanged. The green on the outside of the tail now has a gradient fading to a darker green, and the red part in the middle will have pinstripes. The A on the tail is larger. The fuselage will be painted in a "calm ivory" color, taking the green band away with it.

Also, the Alitalia titles will be painted on the belly.

The logo — which has been moved below the windows — also saw a minimal change. The gradient effect on the tail was also applied to it, and the font used was altered slightly.

The first aircraft with the new livery is registered I-EJGA. It is named after progressive 17th century Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi. The Airbus A330, which previously flew for Jet Airways and Etihad Airways, will make its first commercial flight for Alitalia on Friday. The plane will fly from Rome to Abu Dhabi, then turn back to Milan.

James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways, the parent of Alitalia, said that Alitalia was a "great brand but a challenged business". "Now, we are well on the way to seeing the rebirth of this iconic airline, in a new era of commercial success," he said when the new livery was revealed.